The 21st Century Transportation Committee approved a package of money raising proposals Wednesday afternoon that includes a tax on the number of miles a car travels each year.
The group also recommended putting toll booths on I-95 and I-77.
The special panel, made up of lawmakers and non-legislators alike, will hold a final vote on the recommendations on Dec. 10 before sending them on to the legislature. The vehicle miles tax would be collected during the car's annual inspection and would replace or supplement the currrent gas tax, which has produced less money than in the past because of fuel efficiency, a cap on the tax and, more recently, declining fuel prices.
The committee was charged with finding options for raising an additional $1 billion a year in transportation funding to address the state's growing population and transit needs. North Carolina maintains more miles of roads than any other state except Texas because the state does not require the counties to share in the maintenance and construction costs.
Legislators serving on the committee immediately dismissed the prospects of the proposals passing this year.
"Probably many of them won't be viable this session because of the economy," said Sen. Richard Stevens, a Raleigh Republican.
Charlotte Democrat Becky Carney agreed: "It's going to take a real learning curve for the general public and the General Assembly."
Carney also said if tolls are considered they should be possible on any interstate.
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Re: Odometer tax to offset dropping per gallon tax revenues...
Per my colleague, Mark Johnson:
Part of the tax, 17.5 cents, is a flat per-gallon rate. An additional 12.35 cents rises or falls with the wholesale price of gas, adjusted every six months. Gas has now fallen below the price at which the adjustable portion of the tax was frozen two years ago, so the cap is irrelevant.
Hope that helps!
— RTB